Stage indicator



May 18, 1943 E E ROSIAlRE 2,319,519

STAGE INDICATO R Filed oct. 2 7, 1941 y 2 sheets-sheet' 1 I iwi/ks a 2. 16 s e FTE 1 r5.2

fsm-'5. Rasa/R: I '5:21 `1NVENTOR- y BY Cxo. @pa/J( E. E; RosAlRE 2,319,519 STAGE INDICATOR Filed oet. 27, 1941 May 18, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f m R. m w. m M .m E 6 .m E w r l w NA 0d @UU S N 'N OMQOFl: 6m

` Patented May 1s, 1943 UNITED STAT ES PATNT O'FFlCE STAGE INDICATOR Esme E. Rosaire, Houston, Tex.

Appiicaton October 27, 1941, Serial No. ,416,688 l (o1. as-ioi 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a stage indicator or exhibitor by means of which progress in development may be visually displayed in a step-by-step manner to provide a composite illustration of an advance stage.

By way of illustration, the present invention is shown as displaying changes by stages in a given development of a geographical area. While the device is of utility in this type of display, it is to bel understood that the device is also useful in displaying, by stages, anatomical, mechanical and like structures in a manner that the general features may first be shown and such features thereafter supplemented in stages by details whereby an otherwise obscure showing is simplified.

The primary object oi the invention is to provide an exhibitor including successive vertically spaced transparent sheets each of which 'bears' indici-a bearing sheets pertinent to the successive stages to be displayed in superposed step-by-step relation so that all of the stages will 'be displayed as a composite of the disclosed subject matter or information. Y Y

A further object is to provide intermediate substantially opaque sheets each of which is movable to and from a position in which both the transparent and opaque sheets therebeneath are obscured.

Still another object is to provide alternate stationary transparent sheets and movable opaque sheets, each of said transparent sheets bearing indicia supplementing those superposed thereabove and each of the opaque sheets bearing indicia to supplement those of the superposed transparent sheets, but to be withdrawn from the display when a nether transparent sheet is displayed.

The foregoing objects are primary objects and will, together with other objects, be more fully apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 illustrates a construction embodying the invention and displaying the rst of a series of stages to be displayed thereby;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. I3 illustrates the device and the relative position of parts when a second sta-ge is displayed;

Fig. 4 illustrates the relative position of parts of the device when a third stage is displayed;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

The drawings show an embodiment of the stage indicator or exhibitor of the invention as comprising a. support or back I and the transparent sheets 2 and 3, and alternating therewith are strips 4, as best seen in Fig. 2. Such strips together with the support i, the transparent sheets 2 and 3 and an uppermost border 5, are held in unitary relation bymeans of edge mem'- bers 6 of general U-shaped cross section, The members Ei may be of any suitable materia-l, but for devices of relatively small sizes and weight I prefer to use a gummed tape, while for larger structures a stronger material such as wood, synthetics or metal may be used.

The structure thus far described provides spaces. It) and II. (see Fig. 5), between the successive sheets and such spaces are open at their ends to receive slides or movable sheets I2' and I3. As best shown in Figs. 2 and 5 of the illustrated embodiment, sheet i I3 isslidable within the uppermost s-pace I Il and the end portion of the border 5 is cut away at I5 to form a recess to re ceive an upstanding tab or ear I6 which may .be grasped in order to move the sheet i3 to and from the respective positions shown in the figures. When this sheet is moved inwardly the tab I6 ts closely within the recess I5 and determines the limit of the inward movement.

In a similar manner the movable opaque sheet I2 is slidable within the space I from the left, and the uppermost transparent sheet 3 and the border 5 are cut away to form a recess I5 to re- -ceive the tab or ear I6 on this sheet.

The stage indication exhibited by the device just described is brought about in the following manner:

It is intended that the illustrated embodiment shall Visually display a stage, for example, in the development of certain resources along a given coastal area 26. The uppermost transparent sheet 3 bears an outline of the coastal area as shown at ZI, and the small circles or dots 22 thereon represent the developed areas. The opaque sheet I3 lying directly beneath the transparent sheet 3 bears characters 23 indicating the period of development displayed while proximate to such characters and upon the transparent sheet 3 is provided data 24 concerning the first stage of development of this area.

The second transparent sheet 2 bears additional dots or circles 22 which are additionally displayed as the opaque sheet I3 is withdrawn to the position shown in Fig. 3. This sheet 2 also bears suitable data 25 to supplement that shown at 24 on sheet 3. The opaque sheet I2 therebeneath bears indicia 26 concerning the period cov.

ered by the iirst and second stages and also a summary 21 of the data 24 and 25 on sheets 2 and 3.

When the opaque sheet I2 is withdrawn from its position between the support or back I and the adjacent transparent sheet 2, the indicia 26 and 2'I are removed from the field of vision and there are displayed in their stead the period indicia or characters 30, and supplemented data and summary thereof as shown at 3|, such characters and data being positioned upon the surface of member I. When these indicia are displayed, together with those shown by sheets 2 and 3, the most advanced or third stage to be displayed by the illustrated embodiment is exhibited.

From the foregoing it is believed apparent as to the manner of construction and operation ofA one embodiment of the present invention. While an exhibitor has been shown which is capable of displaying three stages only, it is to be understood that the invention comprehends an extension of the construction whereby any desired number of stages may be shown. 'Ihe disclosed construction constitutes an illustrative embodiment of the invention which broadly contemplates a structure comprising a plurality of stationary transparent sheets and alternate movable opaque sheets, each of such sheets bearing indicia, characters, etc., so that transparent sheets may be exhibited in superposed relation above an opaque sheet in a step-by-step manner to exhibit cumulatively, by stages, the information borne by such sheets.

What is claimed is:

l. A stage indicator comprising a transparent :f:-

an additional and substantially opaque sheet adapted to be inserted and withdrawn from between said rst mentioned sheets, said additional sheet bearing indicia pertinent to the stage exhibited when such sheet is interposed between the spaced sheets so that the indicia not pertinent to the later exhibited stage are removed from the composite display when the additional sheet is withdrawn.

2. A stage indicator or exhibitor comprising a plurality of superposed sheets each having thereon indicia and at least all but the last sheet be- A ing transparent, said superposed sheets being interconnected in spaced relation at at least two of their edges and movable opaque sheets slidable between successive of said superposed sheets and each being adapted to be selectively moved at the free edges of the superposed sheets to cover or uncover, the indicia bearing sheet next below whereby the indicia on the uppermost sheet may be viewed either alone or in conjunction with succeeding sheets so that composite successive stages may be exhibited.

3. A stage indicator or exhibitor comprising a plurality of superposed sheetseach having thereon indicia and at least all but the last sheet being transparent, spacers between adjacent sheets at opposite sides thereof to hold said sheets in spaced parallel relation, means securing said sheets and spacers in fixed relation, said sheets bearing indicia which, when visually superposed in succession present a composite View of successive stages, and movable opaque sheets bearing indicia pertinent to superposed stages but non pertinent to succeeding stages, said opaque sheets being slidable between opposed spacers and intermediate successive of said iirst mentioned sheets to be successively withdrawn to display successive stages to be exhibited by the device.

ESME E. ROSAIRE. 

